Player of the Year Nicole Dalton tops MaxPreps All-American Volleyball Team

After finishing the season 31-0 and winning the Class 5A state championship in Colorado, the Chaparral (Parker, Colo.) Wolverines caused pundits to debate whether or not they were the best team in Colorado history.

While such a debate is hard to settle, there is no debating this: Wolverine senior Nicole Dalton is the best player in the country.

The 6-foot-2 senior, who is headed to the University of Texas, heads the 2012 MaxPreps All-American Volleyball Team thanks to a strong performance by her team and her all-around efforts on the court.

A two-time Gatorade and Denver Post State Player of the Year, Dalton was also a member of the U.S. Junior National Team last summer. Dalton also helped Chaparral win its second-straight Class 5A state championship as well as extend its win streak to 53 matches in a row.



Dalton's statistics show her tremendous versatility. Besides registering 492 kills, she also had 406 assists and 267 digs.

"She's the best prospect to come out of Colorado," Chaparral coach T.R. Ellis told the Denver Post following the Wolverines' state championship win over Grandview.

Dalton is joined by East Lake coach Mike Estes, who earns National Coach of the Year honors after leading his team to the Class 8A state championship in Florida and the No. 9 spot in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Volleyball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard. East Lake (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) won the Class 5A state title last year under coach Terry Small. However after Small resigned due to recruiting allegations, Estes, the school's softball coach, stepped in.

Estes, whose daughter Brittnay was a major contributing player on the volleyball team, led the East Lake softball team to a 28-1 record and a No. 10 national ranking last spring.

As volleyball coach for the Silver Eagles, Estes guided the team to a 27-1 overall record and a 3-1 victory over Wellington in the state finals.

Following is the rest of the MaxPreps All-American Volleyball Teams.

FIRST TEAM

OH - Jordan Burgess, Berkeley Prep (Tampa, Fla.), 6-1, Senior
Led team to 30-2 record and third consecutive state championship... Two-time Florida Dairy Farmers State Player of the Year... Two-time Gatorade State Player of the Year... AVCA All-American First Team... Signed to play at Stanford University... Stats: 553 kills, 366 digs, 48 aces, 38 assists, 32 blocks.
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OH - Nicole Dalton, Chaparral (Parker, Colo.), 6-2, Senior
Led team to 31-0 record and Colorado 5A state championship... Denver Post State Player of the Year... Gatorade State Player of the Year... AVCA All-American First Team... Signed to play at University of Texas... Stats: .492 kills, 406 assists, 267 digs, 62 blocks, 54 aces.
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OH - Emily Sklar, Presentation (San Jose, Calif.), 6-2, Senior
Led team to 41-2 record and California Division II state championship... 2010 Player of the Year by San Jose Mercury News... Gatorade State Player of the Year... MVP of state championship match... AVCA All-American First Team... Signed to play at Duke University... Stats: 584 kills, 487 digs, 61 blocks, 33 aces.
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OH - Kadie Rolfzen, Papillion-LaVista South (Papillion, Neb.), 6-3, Junior
Led team to 41-0 record, second-straight Class A state championship and No. 1 national ranking in MaxPreps Xcellent 25... Gatorade State Player of the Year... Committed to play at Nebraska... Stats: 402 kills, 382 digs, 53 aces.
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MH - Melanie Wade, Palo Alto (Calif.), 6-5, Senior
Led team to 36-3 record and a second-straight California Division I championship... Palo Alto Daily News Player of the Year... AVCA All-American First Team... Signed to play at Washington... Stats: 594 kills, 65 aces, 53 blocks, 255 digs, 28 assists.

MH - Inky Ajanaku, Bishop Kelley (Tulsa, Okla.), 6-4, Senior
Led team to 32-3 record and Class 6A state title (also won state titles as a freshman and junior)... Class 6A state tournament MVP... Tulsa World All-Metro MVP... AVCA All-American First Team... Signed to play at Stanford University... Stats: 537 kills, 127 blocks, 29 digs.

MH - Molly McCage, Klein Collins (Spring, Texas), 6-3, Senior
Led team to a 32-10 record and District 13-5A championship... District 13-5A Player of the Year... AVCA All-American First Team... Signed to play at University of Texas... Texas Girls Coaches Association All-State Team... Stats: 260 kills, 67 blocks.

Li - Taylor Morey, Muncie Burris (Muncie, Ind.), 5-6, Senior
Led team to three state championships and 147-7 record in four years on the varsity team... Gatorade State Player of the Year in 2010... Three-time All-State selection... AVCA All-American First Team... Signed to play at University of Notre Dame... Stats: 428 kills, 106 aces, 14 blocks, 432 digs.

S - Katy Beals, Lake Travis (Austin, Texas), 6-1, Senior
Led team to 50-0 record and second-straight Texas Class 4A state championship... All-CenTex by the Austin Statesman... Texas Girls Coaches Association All-State Team... AVCA All-American First Team... Signed to play at University of Washington... Stats: 153 kills, 31 aces, 25 blocks, 228 digs, 970 assists.
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S - Katie George, Assumption (Louisville, Ky.), 5-10, Senior
Led team to a 43-1 record and second-straight Kentucky state championship... Miss Kentucky Volleyball by the Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association... AVCA All-American Second Team... Signed to play at University of Louisville... Stats: 683 assists, 197 digs, 114 kills, 75 aces.
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AA - Madison Bugg, Cardinal Gibbons (Raleigh, N.C.), 6-1, Senior
Led team to 22-3 record and third-consecutive North Carolina 3A state championship... Two-time Gatorade State Player of the Year (also in 2009)... Three-time Class 3A state tournament MVP... AVCA All-American First Team... Signed to play at Stanford University... Stats: 271 kills, 182 digs, 31 aces, 20 assists, 20 blocks.
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AA - Andie Malloy, Lovejoy (Lucas, Texas), 6-2, Senior
Led team to 48-4 record and fourth-straight Texas 3A state championship... Two-time state tournament MVP... Dallas Morning News All-Area Player of the Year... Texas Girls Coaches Association Player of the Year... AVCA All-American First Team... Signed to play at Iowa State... Stats: 192 kills, 319 assists, 36 aces, 56 blocks, 184 digs.

Continue reading for second and third teams{PAGEBREAK}SECOND TEAM

OH - Amber Rolfzen, Papillion-LaVista South (Papillion, Neb.), 6-3, Junior
Led team to 41-0 record and No. 1 spot in MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Volleyball Rankings... Named Super State in Nebraska... Committed to play at University of Nebraska... Stats: 312 kills, 52 blocks, 289 digs.

OH - Amy Neal, Lake Travis (Austin, Texas), 5-10, Senior
Led team to 50-0 record and second-straight Texas Class 4A state championship... Austin Statesman All-CenTex Player of the Year... Two-time Class 4A state tournament MVP... AVCA All-American First Team... Signed to play at University of Texas... Stats: 538 kills, 287 digs, 63 aces.
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OH - Nicole Walch, Martin County (Stuart, Fla.), 6-2, Senior
Led team to 27-5 record and Florida Class 7A state championship... Florida Dairy Farmers Class 7A State Player of the Year... AVCA All-American Honorable Mention... Signed with Florida State... Stats: 623 kills, 45 aces, 32 blocks, 256 digs.

OH - Martenne Bettendorf, Central Catholic (Portland, Ore.), 6-1, Senior
Led team to 33-0 record and third-consecutive Oregon Class 6A state championship... State Class 6A Player of the Year... Gatorade State Player of the Year... AVCA All-American First Team... Signed to play at University of Oregon... Stats: 511 kills, 149 digs, 57 blocks, 30 aces.
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MH - Katie Mitchell, College Park (The Woodlands, Texas), 6-2, Senior
Led team to 36-5 record and District 14-5A championship... District 14-5A Player of the Year... Montgomery County Player of the Year... Texas Girls Coaches Association All-State Team... AVCA All-American Second Team... Signed to play at Ohio State University... Stats: 465 kills, 48 aces, 104 blocks, 269 digs.

MH - Emily Wolfert, Yorktown (Ind.), 6-2, Senior
Led team to 38-2 record and Indiana Class 3A state championship... Indiana Girls Coaches Association Class 3A All-State Team... Gatorade State Player of the Year... Signed to play at Hillsdale College (Michigan)... Stats: 679 kills, 113 digs, 99 blocks, 47 aces.

MH - Kierra Holst, Coppell (Texas), 6-4, Senior
Led team to 40-9 record and Texas Class 5A state championship... Class 5A state tournament MVP... VYPE Magazine Greater Dallas Player of the Year... Dallas Morning News All-Area Team... District 7-5A Blocker of the Year... Signed with Oklahoma University... Stats: 304 kills, 151 blocks, 27 aces.

Li - Sheridan Zarda, St. James Academy (Lenexa, Kan.), 5-6, Senior
Led team to 47-1 record and fourth-straight Kansas Class 4A state championship... Kansas 4A All-State Team... AVCA All-American First Team... Signed to play at University of Nebraska... Stats: 21 aces, 517 digs.

S - Bianca Arellano, Xavier College Prep (Phoenix), 5-9, Senior
Led team to 42-3 record and the Arizona Division I semifinals... Three-time First-team All-State selection... Arizona Republic Player of the Year... Gatorade State Player of the Year... AVCA All-American Second Team... Signed with University of Tennessee... Stats: 1,294 assists, 197 digs, 143 kills, 89 blocks, 62 aces.
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S - Lauren Sieckmann, Elkhorn South (Neb.), 5-11, Senior
Led team to a 28-6 record and its first Class B state tournament berth... Played outside hitter for Elkhorn South, but recruited to be a setter at University of Nebraska... AVCA All-American First Team... Three-time Super State player, twice earning the honor as a setter at Omaha Marian... Stats: 428 kills, 62 aces, 32 blocks, 240 digs, 209 assists.
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AA - Megan Courtney, Archbishop Alter (Kettering, Ohio), 6-2, Senior
Led team to 20-10 record and Division II state championship match... Three-time first-team All-State pick... Gatorade State Player of the Year... AVCA All-American First Team... Signed to play at Penn State... Stats: 451 kills, 426 assists, 316 digs, 52 blocks, 36 aces.



AA - Mary Hannah Arrington, Pope (Marietta, Ga.), 5-9, Senior
Led team to 43-2 record and third-consecutive state championship... Gatorade State Player of the Year... Three-time Class AAAA first-team All-State selection... AVCA All-American Honorable Mention... Signed to play at Auburn University... Stats: 473 kills, 242 digs, 67 aces, 17 blocks, 10 assists.

Continue reading for third team{PAGEBREAK}THIRD TEAM

OH - Cati Leak, Guntersville (Ala.), 6-2, Senior
Led team to 74-5 record and third Alabama Class 4A state championship in a row... Two-time Gatorade State Player of the Year... Three-time Class 4A state tournament MVP... AVCA All-American Second Team... Signed with Louisiana State University... Stats: 896 kills, 557 digs, 120 assists, 74 aces, 38 blocks.

OH - Megan Mollett, Boyd (McKinney, Texas), 5-9, Junior
Led team to Texas Class 5A state championship match... Dallas Morning News All-Area First Team... District 10-5A MVP... Vype Magazine All-North Texas Team... Stats: 515 kills, 57 aces, 38 blocks, 340 digs.

OH - Shelby Workman, Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission, Kan.), 6-1, Senior
Led team to 42-3 record and Kansas Class 5A state championship... Kansas Class 5A State Player of the Year... Eastern Kansas League MVP... Kansas City Star All-Metro Team... AVCA All-American Honorable Mention... Signed to University of Kentucky... Stats: 353 kills, 36 aces, 37 blocks, 268 digs, 58 assists.
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OH - Jojo Schnabl, Los Alamitos (Calif.), 5-9, Senior
Led team to 38-5 record, the Sunset League championship, the Southern Section Division 1AA championship and a runner-up finish in the Southern California Regionals... Southern Section Division 1AA MVP... Sunset League MVP... Orange County Register All-County Team... Signed to play at North Carolina... Stats: 347 kills, 310 digs.

MH - Megan Gilbert, Tripoli (Iowa), 6-1, Senior
Led team to 40-3 record and fourth-consecutive Iowa Class 1A state championship... Iowa Girls Coaches Association Player of the Year... Four-time first-team All-State pick... Gatorade State Player of the Year... AVCA All-American Honorable Mention... Signed to play at St. Louis University... Stats: 584 kills, 273 digs, 101 blocks, 60 aces.

MH - Meghan Haggerty, Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.), 6-3, Senior
Led team to 39-3 record and Illinois Division I championship... Chicago Tribune All-State First Team... Naperville Sun All-Area Co-MVP... Signed to play at Wisconsin... Stats: 259 kills, 26 aces, 55 blocks.



MH - Ebony Nwanebu, Lovejoy (Lucas, Texas), 6-3, Junior
Helped lead team to 48-4 record and fourth-straight Class 4A state championship... Dallas Morning News All-Area Team... Vype Magazine All-North Texas Team... Committed to play at Southern California... Stats: 589 kills, 130 blocks, 142 digs.

Li - Caitlin Nolan, Carroll (Southlake, Texas), 5-8, Senior
Led team to 42-3 record and season-long No. 1 ranking in Texas... Vype Magazine Greater Fort Worth Player of the Year... Texas Girls Coaches Association All-State Team... Dallas Morning News All-Area Team... District 7-5A Defensive Player of the Year... Signed with Iowa State University... Stats: 558 digs.

S - Ciara Parker, Snow Canyon (St. George, Utah), 5-6, Senior
Led team to 26-4 record and Class 3A state championship match... Three-time Deseret News Class 4A State Player of the Year... Gatorade State Player of the Year... Class 3A Player of the Year by Salt Lake Tribune... State record holder for career assists... Signed to play at Brigham Young... Stats: 654 assists, 276 digs, 127 kills, 70 aces, 47 blocks.

S - Paige Brown, St. James Academy (Lenexa, Kan.), 5-7, Senior
Led team to 47-1 record and fourth-consecutive Kansas Class 4A state championship... Kansas Volleyball Association Class 4A Player of the Year... Signed to play at Appalachian State... Stats: 1,010 assists, 312 digs, 70 blocks, 59 kills, 45 aces.

AA - Alexis Viliunas, Lyons (LaGrange, Ill.), 6-1, Senior
Led team to 30-9 record and Illinois Class 4A quarterfinals... Chicago Tribune State Player of the Year... Gatorade State Player of the Year... AVCA All-American Second Team... Signed with University of Illinois... Stats: 644 assists, 320 kills, 300 digs, 54 aces, 43 blocks.

AA - Mackenzie Dagostino, Berkeley Prep (Tampa, Fla.), 5-10, Senior
Led team to 30-2 record and third-straight Florida state championship... Tampa Bay.com All-Suncoast Team... AVCA All-American Second Team... Signed to play at Maryland... Stats: 254 kills, 62 aces, 43 blocks, 298 digs, 1,156 assists.